Emotional Violence

Cameo’s arrangements are spacious and funky, the dance beats are compelling, and Blackmon even manages to sneak in worthwhile messages without putting a damper on the party he’s starting. The album was produced by Larry Blackmon.

The band was founded in 1974 by the then 18-year-old Blackmon and emerged from East Coast, which had released a self-titled album a year earlier. The band was initially called The New York City Players, but to avoid confusion with The Ohio Players, the group name was changed to Cameo in 1976. In 1977 the first two albums – Cardiac Arrest and We All Know Who We Are – were released on Casablanca’s Chocolate City sub-label.